Rapture: The Dusk
by Miss Roth
Summary: An alternative reality to the 2K Rapture. Contains crude language, and possible sexual references. Mostly Jack & OC, though nearly all characters are present.
1. The Pavilion

Bioshock: Rapture: The Dusk

_This is just a friendly reminder that I in no way, shape, or form own Bioshock, Rapture, or any of the characters. Though believe me, I wish I did. Also, be aware that I have changed some of the Rapture that you knew from the games around a little~ Nothing that's going to make you pull your hair out, I promise... Enjoy, more chapters coming soon!_

One: The Pavilion

AIMEE LIANNE DAMARIS. Her mailbox read it in fancy lettering. She lived in Olympus Heights, ever so close to Brigid Tenenbaum. The woman had refused her any sort of audience. It's not like she was crazy or dangerous, she just had an _idea._One that would help her! Why not listen? Because she was so damn obsessed with those Little Sisters.

"I must get the girls out," she would always rant. It was her fault those damn things even existed. She hadn't been so worried when she made those monsters. Why now? Because the crazed ADAM addicts-that, again, **she** created-were killing them off? What a way to play a damn martyr.

Well, it was Tenenbaum fault, to be fair. She did bite the hand that fed her. Now, Fontaine was dead. Not a soul in Rapture would fund her… Except Augustus Sinclair. Augustus Sinclair was a man that you couldn't trust as far as you could throw him. Why Tenenbaum chose him, she would never know. To each their own, right?

But what Aimee was working on…It was a step towards ending the war. She had a Gene Tonic that would allow the user to locate others based on their use of plasmids. This tonic would tip the scale in favor of whoever possessed it. After all, she wasn't planning on mass production of the tonic. There also weren't very many sane scientists left to help her. So she had been working with Steinman, and even Lamb…to help her figure out her tonic.

Of course, either of them had required the rights to use this tonic. Aimee had to agree. Saying no was not only crazy, but stupid. She wasn't under Ryan's grace anymore, so she was no longer protected by him. Either one of them could easily kill her, but she had come up with a way to save herself.

A self-destruct code. She was planning on working it in somehow, so that if she were to expire, the tonic would go haywire. Not foolproof, but very cunning. This is why she had waned Tenenbaum. Tenenbaum wouldn't require much from Aimee, if anything at all. And she most certainly wouldn't make an attempt on her life. If Aimee managed this, she became the most valuable asset to either side. So it would be Atlas or Ryan…Aimee hoped for Ryan.

Why? Not simply for his good graces, but for the fact that Atlas gave her a funny feeling. Not joy or hope, like many others…No, Atlas made her feel dread. Something about him was off-color. Too familiar. Things that he said didn't sit well with her. Sure, the sound of freedom was nice and all, but she just waned it to be the way it used to. Was that _really_ so bad? No, but getting it back would be.

She had been hearing rumors. A newcomer in Rapture, but how? Who had given the invitation? Who had that kind of leverage? It certainly hadn't been Ryan. So, really, that left Atlas. Was this going to be reinforcements? Did Atlas really need them that badly? Her mind had swum until she realized it must be a weapon of some sort. Very sneaky.

With a sigh, Aimee finally locked up her home. Chains, everything. They would not get her things. Since the war started, people stole more, killed more. Everything. Rapture was going to hell, simply put. Ryan knew that he was losing the war. That the city was falling apart. He wanted so desperately to fix it, but how? Hopefully this tonic would be it.

Why? Simply because Ryan needed to win. Atlas was just too off-color. It was wrong. All of it. The war, Ryan, Atlas. None of it fit. Shaking her head, she turned away from the door, headed towards the bulkhead. Her destination was the Medical Pavilion, to see Steinman. Then to the subway, to Lamb. Then finally…to plea to Tenenbaum. Make her listen.

It was unusually quiet today. Typically, this area was overrun with Splicers-crazy, ADAM-addicted citizens-by noon. Soon, she discovered why. The doors of the bulkhead were sealed, and flooded. Flooded. Of course. That meant Bathysphere. That was a pretty hefty cost. Sure, she had the money. Aimee was among the wealthiest still around in Rapture. It was just an unneeded cost.

Unavoidable, she supposed. She didn't have a Sports Boost tonic, so she really couldn't handle the walk to the next bulkhead without having to stop. Stopping, depending on where, was a bad idea. Most places were overrun with the crazy Splicers. Aimee had a lot left to live for, too.

Towards the Bathysphere station she started to notice the sound of footsteps, and dread began to fill her. Was she being followed? That would be just the thing to make her day. She quickened her pace, but the footsteps didn't. Just another wandering Splicer? Maybe, she wasn't sure.

Typically, a Splicer didn't wander. They followed ADAM, though she wasn't sure how. Did they smell it? They must, how else would they know where it was? Aimee knew she didn't, but she wasn't a heavy Splicer. And she made sure that when she did, the doses weren't regular. That's why she hadn't lost her mind, like the others.

Thus, she had collected two Plasmids during her time in Rapture: Hypnotize Big Daddy, and Electro Bolt. Hypnotize Big Daddy had come in handy for her, especially since she didn't used all the genetic enhancement that ADAM had to offer. So a Big Daddy to protect her was a phenomenal idea. And with the latest advancement to Electro Bolt, it gave her enough time to run, as all as confuse her attacker. Bonus if they were in water, the enemy Splicer was done for.

However, Aimee wasn't sure that either would help her out. The steps weren't heavy enough to be a Big Daddy, and too…Focused to be a Splicer. So they would move too fast for Electro Bolt. Must be a follower of Atlas, her own people wouldn't be around here. Much too dangerous now. Nothing else to do but keep going, she would make this work.

The trip to the Bathysphere was quiet, save for the Little Sister that was harvesting. She went around that one. There was no line for the sub, much to her surprise. Only a single man, staring at the door. She slowly approached the sub, careful to watch his movements. Hand firm on the wrench that was in her belt, she took a deep breath before calling to him.

"Hello?" A typical greeting, enough of one that she could be brushed off as just another Splicer. Genius, of course. The man looked up at her, and for a moment she could see fear in his stare. Then it went dull. He suddenly seemed to go from tense to relaxed, and she could tell he was formulating a response to her. Either he was slow, or he suspected she was. So, he was definitely not a crazed Splicer.

"Those bathyspheres require a hefty fee for a ride. Do you have enough?" Charity can go a long way sometimes, she reasoned. But he shook his head at her, and Aimee sighed. As she was about to speak again, he cleared his throat.

"I haven't had to pay…The doors just open for me. I just don't know where I'm going, I guess." He sounded very puzzles, but Aimee understood.

"Well, I need to use the sub if you don't mind…I'm headed towards the Medical Pavilion."

As soon as she spoke, his eyes lit up, as if he suddenly realized something important. "That's it! There's something I need there. You're welcome to take the sub with me, I don't mind the company." A smile touched his lips, and there was a flutter in Aimee's stomach. She quickly shook it off, but felt a spark as she took his hand. He must have felt it, too, because he pulled his hand away from hers, muttering an apology.

"Oh, it's probably just the Electro Bolt plasmid…You probably have it too, and they're just reacting with each other," she laughed, nervously, and followed him into the bathysphere. This man, who was he? She hadn't seen him before, and he sounded so inexperienced. Was he the "new comer" she had heard rumors of? Oh, Mr. Ryan would love to hear about this! But not yet, only after she knew more about him.

He was handsome, and familiar. Even his voice was, but she couldn't place him. Where did she know his face? As the bathysphere roared to life, there was a bell that went off in the back of her head. Posters, somewhere…But that didn't matter right now, only that she could get to Steinman early enough in the day.

As the bathysphere lulled a stop mere minutes later, she looked at her companion. He stood, and motioned for her to exit first. Like a true gentleman, only a little backwards for Rapture. He certainly must not travel with a companion often. Still, she couldn't help herself as she smiled. For just that moment, the world wasn't fucked beyond repair. It quickly broke with the sound of an ADAM-hungry Splicer screech. Aimee automatically tensed.

Her counterpart, on the other hand, simply raised the weapon in his hand-a wrench, much like her own. She almost caught herself smirking, but quickly turned her attention back to where the screams were coming from. She wasn't sure if it was a dying Splicer, or one on the hunt. They sounded nearly the same, making it hard to differ between the two. Quickly, she went up the stairs that led to the entrance to the main foyer, and she heard him close behind.

"Just for now, we should stick together, don't you think?" His voice wasn't as much a suggestion as it was an order, though his voice was gentle. Aimee had to do a double-take. She still couldn't place what was so familiar about him, but she decided to stick with him. Even if it was just to find out how on Earth she knew him. And he was definitely stronger than she was, so she just nodded. He smiled at her, and motioned for her to follow.

They stepped into the main foyer, where there was a double-ended staircase, and a corridor that led behind the front desk, which was currently unattended. Aimee suspected that either the clerk had just up and left, or that Steinman had been "interested" in them. She had been hoping for the former until she saw the blood on the cushion of the wooden chair…And on the lampshade. With a shudder, she signed in at the desk, and took another quick look around.

"Well, sir, I have to head down the corridor, and I'm not sure where you-"

"I'm coming with you." He cut her off so boldly, that she didn't have a response. She could only manage a shrug, and headed down the corridor that disappeared around the corner. She could hear him close behind her, until Andrew Ryan's voice came over the intercom. Then, everything suddenly stopped. Aimee looked up towards the ceiling; eyes closed, and let the voice of Ryan flow through her.

_"Citizens of Rapture, this is Andrew Ryan. I call upon you to come together, for there is a __parasite__ of Atlas among us. He has come to take the city as spoils of his own. Beware of him, for he is dangerous, and not like us. Do not converse with the parasite, I want him, dead or alive. Why should you bring him to me? ADAM. I offer more of it than you could ever imagine, for him to be turned into me. So, citizens of Rapture, protect what is yours! Bring me the parasite, dead or alive. Bring me your __freedom.__"_

The transmission ended, and it hit her. She whipped around to take a good look at her companion, but he was gone. That's where she knew him-he was the parasite! His face was on posters, and the TVs. She had had him, and now he was gone! She cursed herself, and headed towards Steinman's office. Along the way, she got looks from Splicers, but they seemed rather disinterested. She bit her lip, as the doors to his office opened. Steinman greeted her with a smile, but his eyes were worried.

"Aimee, I'm really happy you made it." He tone was serious, and he sounded sane, which made her uncomfortable. "This isn't going to make sense now, but I need you to trust me. This is the rest of the work I can give you on your tonic, and here's a radio…I need to go into hiding, so I'm going to have to take my own death. That…parasite us after me, and I just can't let all of this fall into the wrong hands. Now please, take these and run. Use the radio to listen for him, he's dangerous. I need you alive, so _please_, steer clear. Now, go, go!"

Spooked, Aimee merely nodded, tucked the papers into her blouse, the radio at her hip, and backed out of his office. "Stay safe, Doctor." She blinked away a tear as she took off down the hall. Now, she had to see Cohen. He would know what to do. So onto the bathysphere again, and then to Fort Frolic. Maybe she would find answers beyond this there.


	2. Fort Frolic

**Note:** Again, I do not own Bioshock, Rapture, or any of the characters from the game. Another quick reminder is that my Rapture is _indeed_ different from the game in spots, like I've decided that Cohen hasn't reached the brink of insanity, although he is definitely bipolar. Also, I realize that the games referenced him to be gay, but I figure he's more fun to through around as a bisexual male.. Also, obviously Bathysphere travel is not limited to just the kin of Ryan, but they do get to ride for free. For those of you that have read so far, I'm going on vacation at the end of this week, so I'm going to try and have chapter 3 up before I go.

_**Enjoy.**_

* * *

Two: Fort Frolic

The bathysphere lulled to a stop and Aimee stood, waiting for the door to open. As it hissed aside, she bounded up the steps, and around Cohen's traps. The doors were closed, and she gritted her teeth, banging her wrench on the door.

"Cohen, please! It's Aimee, and I'm sorry it's so unannounced, but-"

The doors opened, and she nearly plowed through them. Cohen was waiting for her at the stairs. His face was full of concern, and he held open arms out to her. Aimee ran straight into them, and they embraced tightly. She pulled away just a bit, to look him straight in the face. He brushed the hair away from her eyes gently as he spoke to her.

"While you know you're always welcome, this certainly is not like you to call first. Please, my dear, come with me. Tell me what troubles you." One arm tightly around her shoulder, he led her up the stairs. He tried to soothe her, but he could tell she was shaken to her core. What could have created such a response in hardened Aimee?

Up the stairs to Fleet Hall, Cohen tried to figure what was eating at her so much. He raised one hand to pet her hair, reassuring her that it was all okay. Fitzpatrick, his current apprentice, was at the piano on the stage, playing a rather melancholy tune. Cohen looked up at him, and began to wave dismissal until Aimee put her hand on his arm. He nodded, and took a seat next to her, waiting for her to speak.

"Sander," she started, and he knew it was serious. She _never_ used his first name. She continued, stuttering. "Sander, I've…I've seen the parasite. The one on the posters, and I walked and talked with him. We shared a bathysphere, Sander. And…Steinman is in hiding. The parasite is after him, and I'll bet he's coming for you, too, and, and…Sander. I can't lose you. I love you; you are my best friend, my ally. The only person in Rapture I trust. What do we do?" She was in tears by the end, and Cohen was shocked. Steinman in hiding, the parasite after him?

As soon as she threw out the "L" word, he knew. He drew her into a tight embrace. "There, there, my little butterfly. Let him come. We'll take him to Ryan ourselves. There's no possible way he can outwit me." Her sobs began to quiet as he spoke, and he could feel her cling to him. While he knew that Aimee could never love him in the way he had grown to love her, he would do whatever it took to protect her.

Finally, Aimee looked up at him, her eyes still watery, face stained with running make-up. "Are you positive? I couldn't survive down here without you, Sander." When he nodded, she kissed his cheek. "Good, because Rapture is nothing your light."

The two sat in silence for a bit, listening to Fitzpatrick play. Cohen sighed, "You know we have to kill him, right?"

Aimee shrugged. "I never liked him anyway." A chuckle escaped them both, and Cohen listed her chin towards him.

"We will be the most powerful in Rapture. Do you think he's worth more dead or alive?"

"Alive. And I can lure him if need be. He knows me face, and he's got a knee-jerk reaction to protect me. Should be a cake walk." She smiled at the approval she saw in his face.

After a moment of hesitation, Cohen decided to take the risk, and pressed his lips against Aimee's. Surprised, he met no resistance from her, and pulled her into a tighter embrace. Mind racing, Cohen closed his eyes. What if Aimee was just using him to get back to Ryan? While the scenario was unlikely, he still feared it. This little game with Atlas's parasite would either win her or make her run. He had to play his card right-he needed Aimee. The woman had become his muse-his everything. If only she understood that.

The embrace lasted a moment longer, and Cohen pulled back, breathless. He had no idea Aimee was filled with such passion. Cohen intended to have it all. She said nothing, but looked away sheepishly. He noticed that Fitzpatrick has stopped playing, and dismissed him. If he played this right…Fitzpatrick wouldn't have to return and play for the rest of the night.

Cohen watched Fitzpatrick depart, and then turned his attention back to Aimee. She was staring at where Fitzpatrick had been sitting. Suddenly, she looked to him. "Sander, I'm going to play." Before he could response, she was up and off towards the stage. When the shock wore off, he followed her. Cohen had no idea that Aimee knew how to play piano, and that she could play so beautifully.

She smiled up at him, and he again nodded approval to her. This woman had so many talents. She had worked with him through the building of Fort Frolic. That's when they had struck up a friendship; her mind had been so similar to his. He admired her from the very beginning. This woman as nothing like the others Ryan kept in his company. She was smart, funny, and willing to do what it took to make it. Cohen would bet that she had more than likely slept with Ryan to keep the job she deserved. She was so pretty, and Ryan loved pretty things.

He must have actually cared for her, though. He was extremely upset when the rumors of their affair started, and he cut off contact with her. To Cohen, this meant he didn't want to tarnish her image, though he was sure that Ryan would have gladly had an affair with the woman. He had never spoken anything but highly of her, and had been torn up about having to essentially fire her. But there was Cohen to pick of the pieces, and hopefully her heart.

Aimee stopped abruptly, jerking Cohen back to the present. He blinked a couple of times, and looked down at her. Her face was stone, and this confused him beyond belief. What was the woman staring at? He attempted to stare in the same direction, but couldn't figure it out. He didn't see what she saw. Frustration building, he put his hand on her shoulder, trying to bring her back to reality. She just kept whispering 'would you kindly' over and over.

"Aimee," he said through clenched teeth, "you're testing my patience...Snap out of it!" It came out more testy than he had intended, but damnit, this woman was really starting to grate his nerves. Her attention span sometimes, he'd swear, was that of a goldfish.

"The secret...is 'would you kindly.' Listen, Sander."

She held up a radio to him, and his anger quickly dissipated into a form of intrigue. He took it from her outstretched hand. There was static, but he could very faintly make out voice. Upon a bit of further tuning, the voices of Atlas and Andrew Ryan came through the speaker. The two were nearly bickering with each other over a...a third party?

"Aimee, what is this? Is this some kind of joke?"

She shook her head, and said, "Just listen, Sander. Listen for him."

Him? She was starting to lose it! Creating imaginary men just to make life interesting. To humor her, though, he listened to Ryan, Atlas, Ryan, all over and over. After a lapse of silence, he heard it.

"Would you kindly take care of that Little Sister? Nasty little things..." No mistaking that for Atlas. But another voice followed, one that left Sander Cohen filled with awe. It was new, but yet the tone was familiar. Oh, if only he could place it.

"I...I don't have to kill her, do I? She's just a child!"

"Look, boy-o, I don't care _what_ you do with it, just take care of it." The radio went dead again, until he heard the voice of Tenenbaum, in response to the action that this man was told he must do.

"There is another way," her thick German accent spouted. "I beg you to please consider it."

The silence that followed was awful, until there was a soft 'thank you,' but it wasn't really discernible which party it was from. Atlas's voice soon broke through.

"You have enough ADAM now, but just barely. Now would you kindly get that Incinerate plasmid and get to Steinman?"

Cohen handed the radio back to Aimee, unable to listen any longer, yet awe-struck. While he didn't really understand exactly what he had just heard, the bit of the outburst Aimee had suddenly made a little more sense.

"Well, that was refreshing. DO you know where Steinman has decided to hole himself up at?" When Aimee shook her head, he nodded. "Most curious. I wonder where he's headed next. Do you think Arcadia? To get to the subway system...Oh, how wonderful! There hasn't been action like this in so long, my butterfly! What are you going to do?"

Aimee was silent for a bit, then she looked up. "Langford wouldn't care about the bounty on his head, so I think I'll meet him in Arcadia. He knows my face, so I think I'll play off as help. Oh, Ryan will be ever so pleased...with us."

The way she choked out the last few words made Cohen nervous. They couldn't afford betrayal right now, but he had an idea. One that might make her decide that he was worth keeping in her life after this fiasco was over.

"Aimee, why don't you bring him here? He can take care of Fitzpatrick for us...and the others." The last three words were said with utter distaste, but he quickly recovered and plastered a smile on. "Then...we just take him straight to Ryan ourselves! What do you think, plausible?"

She nearly jumped off the seat at the piano into his arms, planting a rather large kiss at his lips. The smile on her face was so large, it made his heart soar.

"Yes! That's perfect, Sander! What would I do without you?"

Cohen just smiled, asking himself the same question.

_I know she will leave me for Ryan,_ he thought. _What shall I do when you're gone, my dearest butterfly?_


	3. Arcadia

**A/N:** As always, I don't own Bioshock/Rapture, or any of the original characters. Aimee is my creation, and I have readily altered Rapture to fit my story, regardless of the anger it may/not rise. Just as a forewarning, there is a _rather_ disturbing scene in this piece, and it was kind of hard for me to even include. And also, I write these segments at work, since, you know, overnight cashier and all. That's the only reason I've been able to keep up with quick updates. This will be the last you hear from me for likely a week, though, vacation time~

_**Enjoy, and please review!**_

Three: Arcadia

JACK KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. The man who was 'helping' him, Atlas, acted rather suspiciously. He didn't quite understand it, but he knew. It was the demeanor that set him off. Why did he have to get in the middle of this war between these two? He didn't care about either side, it didn't concern him. He only wanted to go home.

The people here were crazy, to say the least. All except for her. He didn't know her name, but they had spoken briefly. Once Ryan sent out the broadcast, he had to take off. As nice as she seemed, he thought she'd go for the reward on his head. It wasn't a pleasant thought. Crash landing here, then becoming the most wanted man.

With a sigh, he began his journey towards the next subway station. But to his displeasure, it was locked down. Frustration ate at him until he heard wary steps. He decided to follow them, as more of a way to keep himself protected than anything else. He followed them into what _appeared_ to be a cave, and an suddenly, a Splicer with a wooden mask appeared in front of him. They launched fireballs at him, and Jack, in panic, rolled out of the way.  
"GET OUT OF THE WATER!" For the first time since arriving in Rapture, he didn't second guess an order. As soon as he was out, and technically away from the reach, electricity filled the water. The Splicer in front of him began to convulse, and for a lack of better termonology... They were fried. After a moment of awe, he looked to the brave soul that had come to his rescue. (Or at least he hoped it was rescue.) His heart jumped out of his chest and into his throat, and he felt his breath catch. It was her! He felt a smile come on, and he stuttered out a few words before gaining confidence.

"I...Thank you. I'm sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have taken off, and just left you there like that. I mean, I'm sure you're capable of defending yourself and all, but that doesn't mean it makes it right that I left you. So really, I am sorry. Forgive me?"

She to keep herself from laughing. This was... _too easy._ And he was rambling. Which, in a way was cute, but she was on a mission, nevertheless. "Well, I suppose I could. But be aware, I don't need, nor want, to know where you want off to. But I'm obviously okay, so I can't be that angry." She shrugged and began to turn, until a thought hit her. "And by the way.. It's Aimee. Aimee Damaris."

When she lazily held out her hand, he was nervous to take it. He had seen the lightening that she had forced out of her system, how was he to know that she wouldn't use it on him? After brief hesitation, he clasped her hand tightly.

"Aimee. That's pretty. I'm Jack Ryan."

When his grip took her hand, she froze in place. Jack...Jack... It certainly fit, but why? There was more to him than just being Ryan's parasite. He had begun to ramble on about the city, and the sad shape it was in, as her thoughts simply drifted. She found herself nodding in agreement with him, not actually hearing his words. She had heard from Ryan himself that Jasmine Jolene had gotten herself pregnant with his child, but Aimee thought that the baby hadn't lived.

But this man looked like Ryan, their voices were similar. She couldn't say much for their sense of fasion, as Jack's was awful. That sweater, really? He'd look much more...appropriate in a suit. Oh, what a silly thought, they couldn't be related! Even if all the rumors about Fontaine and Suchong were true, both were dead, the child couldn't possibly have survived! Ryan was a common last name, but she had to admit, the resemblance was uncanny.

"Are you okay, Aimee?" Jack had noticed that she had an attention span that tended to waver. Her sweet smile returned from her distant expression, and he felt relief. He wondered what she could possibly be so distant about, but then, the effects of ADAM were rather terrifying.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine," she answered shortly. "Now then, what on Earth are you doing in Arcadia?"

Jack chuckled. "Well, see, I was going to the sub station, but it's locked down. So now I have to figure out a way to get in, or to get around it." He felt a little helpless having to admit it, but this woman _would_ know Rapture better than he did, so maybe she knew a way around all of this mess.

"Well..." Aimee thought aloud, trying to figure a way out that didn't give herself away. "To be fair, the door you're talking about is almost always locked. I don't know if I can get you in, but I can try." Aimee set off, leaving a confused Jack to follow. She didn't know if her security codes still worked. But if if he _was_ who she thought it was? It woudn't take much hacking of that lock and he could get them in with no problem.

As they progressed through Arcadia, Jack noticed portraits of Ryan with two women every so often. He recognized the one woman as Aimee, but the other one? Nope, nothing. Questioned mounted in his head, mostly about Aimee and her motives, until they reached a canopy that had a seating area, and a rather large dedication plaque mounted to the wall. He stopped to read it, and his blood ran cold.

_In dedication ot Aimee Lianne Damaris.  
Chief Architecht of Ryan Industries,  
__Architecht of Arcadia.  
__c. 1957_

Jack looked to Aimee, feeling sick to his stomach. She worked for Ryan? The very man that wanted him dead. The world spun as his thoughts raced, and he fell to the ground. The last thing he heard before the world went black was Aimee screaming his name, and the sound of her running back towards him.

As Jack hit the ground, panic hit Aimee. What had caused that? ADAM, exhaustion, the plaque on the wall... _Oh, shit,_ she thought. _This is going to be so much fun to explain!_ The dedication plaque must have been too much for Jack to handle, all of Rapture wanting him dead and all, and he passed out. If she had been stronger, she probably could have carried him back to Fort Frolic, but no, now she just had to wait it out.

After a bit of questioning whether or not she should just out him, but offer help, or just kill him, Jack groaned. The poor guy, must have hurt when he hit the ground. Absently, Aimee stroked his hair as she waited for him to completely regain conciousness. The panic that had been emitted by him quickly dissipated into a rather eerie calm.

"Aimee..." Her name came out as a moan off his lips, and the pit of her stomach fluttered. She knew he was distressed, but _damn._ She hadn't heard her name like that in ages, and hearing it come from him? Well, then.

"Jack, are you okay?" Quickly shaking the feeling off, she went into a bit of a "mother hen" mode, and helped him up on the bench.

"Aimee...you...and Ryan?"

She bit her lip, unsure how to answer. They stared right at each other, and he searched her face for an answer to his question. All he saw was fear, and finally, she took a deep breath.

"Yes. I worked for Ryan as his Chief Architecht for years. When the war broke out, so did rumors of an affair between us. Entirely untrue, he has Jasmine Jolene, but that...That's another story. To save me, I suppose, he decided to 'terminate' my employment. Though, I still have most of my security clearances. I'm not sure if I can open locked doors, though. I try not to use my clearance unless absolutely unavoidable." She left it at that, hoping he wouldn't ask her to use it.

"If you use it, I assume he can track it. Is there another way in or around?" The _last_ thing he needed was to be caught. And if this lady could help him? Awesome. If not? Well..He'd hate to have to kill her, that connection that's been going on was something else.

"There may be, if it isn't boarded off by now. We may have to go through Farmer's Market if it is."

"You're sure?" While she seemed honest, he knew that everything here could _always_ be a lie. First lession learned in Rapture.

She nodded. "I designed Arcadia. If anyone knows it, it's me. Although...Langford has stayed here, so she may actually know it better than I do."

"Landford?"

"Yes. Julie Langford. She's a botanist, and the reason Rapture is inhabitable at all. The oxygen down here comes from her trees and plants, that are seen all over the place." Aimee toyed with the idea still of telling him that she knew, but it seemed to be safer to play oblivious. Jack didn't seem entirely stable at the moment, and she liked living. But she had to keep him on his toes, so maybe... Another approach.

"So...Is Julie the other lady in the portrait?"

"Yes," Aimee sighed, nodding. "And she isn't very social. She's very self-interested, so don't worry too much about her." That subtle hint should have set off an alarm in Jack's head, and if it didn't...She might be in trouble. It should make him tread very lightly, especially after what she would have to do to protect him after this. While it would put her in danger, too, since others would target them, it would be worth it. She would have to fight, but she would get the one thing she wanted most. Oh, decisions, decisions.

"So then we're safe with Langford?" He knew the use of 'we' sounded possessive, but he needed her if he was going to get around Rapture alive, especially after this new dawn of information about her. Bonus that she apparently knew the backroads, so to speak. Aimee was definitely now an asset-and possibly an ally-that Jack desperately needed.

"With her, yes, kind of. You can bet if we're attacked, though, she won't bother in keeping us secure. No matter what, you watch your back in Rapture, Jack. Even with friends. They can't always save or protect you, so they'll quickly feed you to the wolves for their own lives instead." Her tone was grave, and almost sad. She obviously had experience with this, and it hurt his heart a little. She seemed too sweet for something so harsh.

"Understood, though that's really awful. What a sad would this must be tio live in. I would hate to be stuck down here."

The look that Aimee shot him was dark, almost venemous. "You know, it wasn't always like this. Rapture, at one point, was a flourishing civilization. It used to be beautiful here, before ADAM, and plasmids, and Little Sisters..." The sadness was evident and heavy in her voice. Obviously, she still loved Rapture.

"That still happens on the surface. From what I hear, Chicago, New York City, Las Vegas...They've all gone through the same. If the city is dedicated, it'll get back up again. Just like most other civilizations after civil unrest." He was trying so hrad to comfort her, though he knew it wasn't required. She just shook her head.

"Yeah, well, enough about this. I have to get you to that sub station. So let's get moving okay?" She didn't wait for a response, she just kept moving. Reluctantly, Jack followed. Aimee had stonewalled him out of Rapture's history, so really, he had no choice.

It took a good twenty minutes, but they got back to the terminal door. Aimee took a deep breath before she clicked the button to open the code pad. She started at it for a moment, then closed it up, her face with a twisted grin.

"Nothing has been changed, so I should still be able to get in if I need to. The other way is close by, though, so let's try that first. It's outside of Langford's Lab." Hurrying off, Jack nearly ran just to keep up with her. She never once looked back to see if he was still there, just kept moving.

Jack had begun to thik she had forgotten about him when out of the blue she suddenly stopped. She searched along the wall in front of her, moving the overgrowth of vines around. She let out an excited shriek moments later, when she moved a set around and the wall seemed to just open up. She didn't rip the vines off, but continued moving them around until the wall opened up, creating a door to the pathway. Her excited expression soon faded, though.

"Jack... We, um... Can't go this way. The path has been filled in." Her voice was flat, but conveyed a sense of uncomfort. He came to her side, and nearly gagged at the sight of dead bodies, just left there to decay.

"Oh, god, that's just...Go. Come on, Aimee." The door began to close, and one of the bodies began to move. The person let out a wail as they made for the door, but neither Aimee or Jack moved to offer help. Their hand made it out into the hallway as the door closed on it. There was a sickening crunch of bones, and blood seemed to pour out as the door completely severed the hand from their body. Even after the door closed, you could hear the screams.

Aimee and Jack just stood there, too shocked to say anything for quite awhile. They stood for what seemed like forever before Aimee finally managed to speak.

"I...They...Jack, let's go. After seeing this, I know I can't take you through Farmer's Market. But I have another idea." Forget the journey, straight back to Fort Frolic! Cohen wouldn't be ready for them, but she _needed_ him now. She needed the comfort after what she had just seen.

They walked in silence, slowly, neither of them in a hurry now. She went straight to the terminal, opened the keypad, and punched in a few numbers. The keypad lit up a bright red, then flashed a couple of times before turning green. She let out a breath, and punched another set of numbers in. This repeated twice more before the sign above the door began to blink.

_COMMAND CODE...ACCEPTED  
__REASON CODE...ACCEPTED  
__CLEARANCE CODE..ACCEPTED  
__ROUTING CODE...ACCEPTED  
__LOADING USER INFORMATION...DONE  
__WELCOME TO THE ARCADIA SUBWAY, AIMEE DAMARIS._

As the doors opened, the radio cackled. Andrew Ryan's voice came over the the airwaves, and he sounded...excited. Not angry, genuinely excited. In spite of himself, Jack almost laughed.

"Aimee Lianne Damaris. It's been awhile since I've seen that name pop up for approval. I miss you, Aimee. Why don't you ever come to visit? I can offer you so much more than _Sander Cohen_ can offer you. Power, money, ADAM. Everything, Aimee. Rapture is _ours."_

She closed her eyes. She had been waiting to hear that for so long. But was he sincere? Andrew Ryan could never commit to anything but his work. She sighed before speaking.

"Funny you talk of Sander, Andrew, yet _another_ you turned your back on. That happens to be who I'm going to see! I wish you weren't lying, though, I really do. But I value loyalty over anything, and while he can't offer me Rapture...Sander can offer me a loyalty you never will." Her heart broke saying this, but she knew where to take Jack. Andrew Ryan would chase her down if she had to. He wanted her, he'd do what it took to have her. She felt bad for Sander, but he could handle Ryan, and he's been itching to have at him for years, anyway.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Aimee. But maybe this will sway you." The doors to the subway slammed shut as the radio cackled into silence. The air began to fill with a green mist, and Aimee turned to Jack with wide eyes.

"To Langford, now!"

They wasted no time running to the lab, where Langford soon appeared up on the screen.

"You _will_ fix this, you little tramp! My trees, they can't be allowed to die. You will bring me a Rosa Galaca... And step on it!" As an afterthought, she smiled, "_You_, on the other hand...You, young man, will stay here. This is her doing, and you'll be my collateral that she'll be back."

Jack looked at Aimee helplessly, but she just shook her head. Her face was twisted up in rage, and she spat her words out at Langford.

"You're such a jealous bit! I never knew you loved him so much that you'd let this happen before you ever reacted to the shit he's pulled. Oh, I'll bring you your damn plant. But mark my words, I'll make you choke on it, and kill you myself!" Aimee stormed off, and Langford just smiled. Her tone quickly changed, and the locks cliked on the doors.

"Now then, come inside. We have much to discuss."


	4. Langford's Lab

****A/N: Sorry this has taken so long to upload! Had some fiasco with the internet, and work. To everyone that has subscribed and waited, thank you! This one is a bit on the long side, and may not make complete sense to you, but the next chapter certainly will. And, again, as a reminder, I don't own Bioshock in any way, shape, or form. Nor do I own any of the characters except the ones I've created to insert inside of this little beauty that I'm epically in love with. I will try to get more work on this done soon, and again, thank you!

_**Enjoy.**_

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**FOUR: LANGFORD'S LAB**

THE DOORS WHIRRED OPEN, AND THERE SHE WAS. Julie Langford. She stood tall and proud, exhuming confidence. A wicked smile was set upon her lips as she beckoned him inside. This felt off to Jack, but he already knew that Aimee counted on him to behave. The doors quickly whirred shut and he followed Langford upstairs.

"I know who you are, Jack. And don't trust Aimee, she's as faceted as a diamond, and she'd do what it takes to get Ryan back. I'm sure she's told you her sob story about her relationship with Ryan? If I were you, I wouldn't believe a word that woman says. She's as manipulative as that damn Diane McClintock was…"

Jack was confused. Aimee had rejected Ryan. Verbally, in front of him. She had sounded so very angry. But then, she was so quick to divert the attention from her to Julie…

"I know, it doesn't make sense, does it? I'll spell it out for you: Aimee _loves_ Ryan. Sadly, Ryan loves her. Really, he does, more than I've ever seen him care for another human being. On the other hand, Sander Cohen has it for her, too. That's the part that surprised me; I always thought that man had it for, well... Other men. Nevertheless, she's been using Sander, and the poor fool knows it. He just wants to believe that she'll choose him in the end. You know, I think the only reason she's still alive is her looks. I mean, of course, she's brilliant. She hides _that,_ believe me."

Julie snorted at the backhanded compliment she handed Aimee. Oh yes, she was brilliant. She had all the powerful of Rapture at her heels- even Fontaine, when he was still alive, and that dreadful Atlas. She had beauty that Langford had never seen before in Rapture. Not even that little slut Jasmine Jolene held a candle to the beauty that Aimee possessed. She suspected that Steinman had something to do with that, he rather liked the woman, despite his insanity. So yes, maybe Julie was _just_ a bit jealous. But Aimee had it all, still, and she played it off as the victim.

"If I know her, she'll bring you to Cohen. They'll work you over, and off to Ryan you go! She'll leave poor little Cohen behind, too. None of this I'm too concerned with, you see. She'll take good care of Rapture. You may not believe me now, but just you wait, you'll see._._."

Jack looked down from Langford. If she was right, he didn't know what to do. He would probably be out powered by the both of them, if only because he didn't have it in him to attack Aimee. Now…Now he really just wanted to go home. But, Aimee had warned him. By telling him about the wolves…Hadn't she?

"Why are you telling me this if you approve of her running Rapture, Julie? It just doesn't fit."

Langford laughed, hard. "Did I ever say that I _approved_ of her running Rapture? I just said she'd take good care of it. I hate that woman, so anything to ruin her. Does that mean I'm lying to you? Maybe, maybe not. You can believe what you want." She sported a smug smile, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I am sorry, Jack. You seem to get yourself mixed with all the wrong sorts."

Before he could say anything in response, the radio cackled. It was Atlas, finally! After the tragedy in Neptune's Bounty…He wasn't sure he'd hear from him for quite a bit of his trip down in Rapture.

"Where are you, Boyo, still in Arcadia? I've been waiting for you to get into Hephaestus, have you found a way around yet?"

Jack stared right at Langford, and sighed. "No, I'm stuck with Langford…Ryan released some sort of gas in Arcadia, and I'm trying to help save the trees."

Atlas chuckled on the other side of the radio. "You're such a white knight, but at least it's for a good reason this time. Hey Langford, how's your dear old competition, Aimee Damaris? She outdid you yet?" His voice held certain adoration for the woman that much was obvious.

Julie turned a bright red. "Listen here, you ass, Aimee Damaris could _never_ outdo me. She doesn't have the nerve!"

"Is that so…That's why she designed your lab _and_ Arcadia, right? And I hear right, Ryan's beggin' her back. She's already won!"

Langford grimaced. "Well played, Atlas, but remember who really owns you. Rapture is **not** yours!"

Atlas was silent for a bit, but came back angrily. "Yeah, well it sure as hell isn't Ryan's! Now, would you kindly finish your business there, boyo, I'm countin' on ya to get into Hephaestus." The radio went silent, and Jack and Langford stared at each other.

"Atlas…isn't who he says he is, I can feel it. But I can't help but _want_ to obey. Who is he, Julie?"

Langford shrug, all evidence of her anger now dissipated. "Nobody really knows. I don't even know if anyone has seen him in person, to be honest."

Jack nodded, thinking. Atlas must not be real…That explains a lot. He leaned back against the glass in the room, staring up at the ceiling. Who was behind Atlas, then? A noise at the front doors, and Langford was off. She returned in a few moments with Aimee, and neither looked happy. Langford took a few things from Aimee, and then nodded as she headed out of the room. Aimee turned to Jack with a scowl.

"I could just…urgh! Why? Why did you tell him where we are? He could be sending people after us…"

"Just me, Aimee. He doesn't know that you're here. Why would it matter? I don't understand."

"Why would it matter? Jack, are you dense? Atlas knows that I worked for Ryan. That I don't support Atlas in the war. Now, if he sends someone after you, I'm as good as dead. Do you get that?"

Jack simply nodded. He understood her rage, but he had a lot of leverage that Aimee apparently wasn't aware of. He took a couple steps towards her, and enveloped her in a hug. Even after the day, she had a sweet smell to her. Almost like candy. Jack cast a look at Langford, who had re-entered the room, wearing a bit of a sad smile. He looked down at Aimee.

"I'm so sorry, Jack." It was a strangled whisper, and she quickly pressed her lips against his. Jack responded almost instantly, and pulled Aimee tighter. She opened her mouth for him, and he couldn't help himself. Within moments, however, the world faded to black, and once again, Jack passed out.

When he thudded to the floor, Aimee turned to Julie, face solemn. The two didn't say anything for a moment, and then Aimee turned her head slightly to spit something out of her mouth. "Do the damn test. If he is…I can't let him die, and you _will_ help me. You don't have a choice."

Langford sighed. "Aimee, it was for his own good. He never would agree to this consciously!" She came forward with a syringe, and drew some blood for Jack. She turned and put a hand on Aimee's shoulder, then quietly left the room. Aimee sat on the floor next to him. Part of her felt bad, the rest needed to know just how much power she really had by having Jack.

It seemed like hours before Langford returned. Her face was pale and serious. "Aimee," she started, but kind of trailed off. As Aimee was about to break the silence, she started speaking again. "That's his son."

The whole world stood still as Aimee took it on. Andrew Ryan's flesh & blood at her feet. She didn't know what to say. For awhile, Langford and Aimee said nothing. Both had thoughts running through their minds like little flies around a carcass. To break the silence, Langford finally spoke.

"The rumors are true, that means. You _know_ he must be protected. He is the future of Rapture, like it or not. Why would he come back, and how did he find this place?" They both knew why. Fontaine. But Fontaine was dead, wasn't he? "He probably had something in the mental conditioning that would draw him back here."

Aimee couldn't bring herself to speak for some time, as they both mused the idea of what Langford had suggested. One question kept nagging at her, though. She had planned to turn him in, what does that make her? Of course, she didn't really know at the time, but still.

"Langford, how's the Lazarus Vector coming along?" She needed the woman out, just to clear her own mind in peace. There was a lot of thinking left to do, and how would she tell Cohen about all of this?

Langford, who understood right away, nodded and left the room. As soon as she heard the doors shut, Aimee broke into quiet sobs. The confusion was already a lot to bear, and now guilt was going to trap her? Aimee wasn't sure she could handle this now. Did she want to keep up the charade, or was this a whole different ball game? Poor kid had no idea who he was. Aimee wasn't sure he ever would, unless someone told him. He certainly wouldn't find out on his own.

Jack, who must have heard, groaned, and stirred. Aimee jumped, and turned quickly to face Jack, as he opened his eyes, and forced himself into an upright sitting position, shakily. The two stared at each other, tension thick. It had started to dawn on jack that Langford may actually be right about Aimee, and a part of him _hurt_ at this realization. He didn't expect anyone to go out of their way to help him, but he didn't expect betrayal like this, either. For the ADAM? She didn't seem to need it, but so many things were off about this place. Resisting the urge to attack her, he just shook his head sadly. _After all, Jack, she did give herself away early on…It's just that you couldn't see it._

"Aimee, why?" His own voice came as a whisper, and it made him realize just how hurt he really was. It must have been a shock to her, too, as she just looked down.

"I'm sorry, I put my need to be in Ryan's good graces before the life of another person. This was wrong of me. I wish there was something I could do to show you that I'm sincere. Really, I do. But you can call us even. Ryan _and_ Atlas know that you're here, so don't you think you're safe. Ryan will expect me with your head, Atlas will want mine. Get the picture?"

She had turned from apologetic to vicious in the blink of an eye. This made Jack uneasy. That made Aimee dangerous. And though he wouldn't admit it, Jack was scared. This woman could make or break him, and she knew it. The power hidden behind the indifferent exterior was nothing short of amazing, and Jack felt himself recoil from her.

"I…You…I don't understand. Why not take me as soon as you saw me?"

The laugh was cold. "I needed to be sure. Couldn't risk looking like a fool, now, could I?" She smirked, a rather mocking gesture. "Oh, but don't you worry. You have more use to any of us alive now, _believe me._"

A shudder ran through Jack at hearing Aimee's words. More use alive? What had changed so much in the matter of a couple of hours? He almost didn't want to know. She laughed at him again, causing another shudder.

"You'll understand in time. But, for now? You're better off with me. Langford will have a way to keep us safe, at least for awhile." Aimee had to work hard at staying mean. It wasn't exactly her natural element, but neither was socialization. But this kid needed the push right now.

The silence seemed empty, and sometime later, the air began to clear, and Langford reappeared with a huge smile. As soon as she came down the steps, Ryan's voice appeared.

"Julie, now you're helping Aimee? You're the last two that I expected to work together. I suppose there isn't a way worth punishing you now…"

"Mr. Ryan, I couldn't let my trees die! That would destroy all of Rapture, and I just can't have that. I had absolutely no interest in doing this to help _her._ That little tramp? Please, she could suffocate for all I care!"

Aimee just stared, and Ryan spoke again. "Watch your tongue, Julie. Remember just how much she's done for you before you go wishing her ill will. You're easy to replace, but she is not." Ryan emphasized the last few words, to make a point to Langford.

Langford snorted. "Because your heart is so set upon her! Open your eyes, she's using you! Why can't you see that? All that matters to her is your power, and that won't change. You can do, and deserve, so much better."

At this, Aimee broke in, laughing almost hysterically. "Oh, and I suppose you assume he'd pick _you?_ Just how delusional _are_ you, Julie? Ryan has a taste for class, do you really think you have any?"

"I have more than you! We all know the rumors, they must be true? Why else would he have terminated your employment, but leave you all your clearances? Why does an _architect_ need so much damn clearance, anyway?"

There was silence, everyone expecting someone else to answer. Finally, Ryan did, in a deep, angry tone.

"Why? Because I trusted her. I needed her to work with maintenance to keep my city from falling apart. I couldn't very well be with her every second, could I? All I needed you for was trees. I can easily find another botanist, Julie, but not an architect of her caliber. She's so much _more_ than just an architect. She's brilliant, good at everything she does. Hell, she could even _replace you._"

He let those words sink in, leaving Langford speechless. She had just been attempting diversion, and hadn't expected such a strong backlash. "I…I'm sorry, Mr. Ryan."

"Not to me, Julie, to Aimee. You've insulted her, and I trust you'll see that it doesn't happen again."

"Julie…" Aimee began, but Langford shook her head.

"No, he's right. I'm sure he had expected this all to blow over, but needed you to be safe. You would be needed to rebuild Rapture. Make it better. I shouldn't doubt Mr. Ryan's decisions."

The room was silent again, then the radio cackled. Atlas.

"With these three bickerin' like children, I need you to get down to Hephaestus! It's time you have your visit with Mr. Andrew Ryan…"

Nobody said anything, not for awhile. Jack started to move away from Langford and Aimee, but was stopped in his tracks. Both of them had a distant look on their faces that made his blood run cold.

"Aimee…Let's go. Please, before this gets any uglier."

She didn't respond, only approached Langford. She put her hands on the other woman's shoulders. "Be safe, Julie." Langford nodded, and Aimee accepted a small package from her with a soft smile, then turned to Jack. Now, finally, they could move on.

As they descended into the main foyer of the lab, Ryan's voice came over the radio. What he said chilled Jack to his core.

"I know you have him, I've seen the test Langford ran. Bring him to me, Aimee. This will finally all be over."

As soon as he looked at Aimee, he knew. He said nothing, and neither did she. She just kept to the bathysphere. Jack followed, heart in throat.

_This is it, now I'm dead…_


	5. Fleet Hall

**A/N:** As always, I don't own Bioshock, Rapture, or any of their characters other than the few I will insert into this story. For everyone that has waited, THANK YOU! I know it's been awhile since I last posted, and thank you again for waiting. This chapter is a bit short, but the next one is much more exciting, and hopefully I'll get it up soon for everyone to read!

**_Enjoy, and please feel free to leave reviews, positive or otherwise._**

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Five: Fleet Hall

WHEN THE BATHYSPHERE STOPPED, JACK LET OUT A SIGH. Aimee hadn't said a word to him the entire ride, add he felt his heart sink lower, almost to the pit of his stomach. She started quickly of of the sub, and Jack hurried to follow her. The radio started to sing static, and sputtered suddenly into silence. He noticed the small smile on Aimee's face, and was about to ask when she rounded the corner.

They had to get around a few...obstacles around the way, and finally, they stood in front of a closed door. Suddenly, Aimee slammed her wrench into it, and screamed, "Cohen!" When the echo from the scream died down, the doors lurched open. A man waited on the other side, rather ridiculously made up. He was white as a ghost, painted red smile, and... eyeliner? All in a rather over-the-top tuxedo. A worn-out one, at that. But Aimee ran straight to his embrace. This must be Sander Cohen.

Their embrace was almost intimate as Jack began to move about in a nervous fashion. Not to Ryan? Then what was going to become of him here? He felt sick by the thought of it, the bile starting to rise in his throat. Before he could completely collapse, Aimee turned back towards him.

"Jack, this is Sander Cohen. He just helped me save your life."

The entire room spun, even thought it seemed like time had stopped. Jack closed his eyes to focus on his breathing. Saved his life? How? He was wanted like a serial killer. Hell, by now, maybe he was. He had killed so many people- though he was assured that they were not. It bothered him. How could he return to the surface now? He heard Cohen chuckle, then looked up.

"I can imagine what this little moth has been through. Everyone and thing chasing him down. That's certainly no way to live. But don't worry, we're going to save you from all of this. Take the suffering... Away. Rest now, little moth. When you wake, we begin."

Jack suddenly felt tired. Exhausted, really. Against his will. A heavy yawn escaped him, and he felt himself droop against Cohen's body. Struggling to stay awake, he mumbled, "Are you going to kill me?" Cohen just laughed, as Jack drifted off into an unsettling sleep.

Cohen looked to Aimee, concerned. "Okay, explain."

She took a deep breath, and gave him a sweet smile. "Remember the rumors of Jasmine Jolene's pregnancy? Well..." She trailed off, motioning to Jack. "And before you ask, it was a hunch. Julie confirmed."

Cohen's jaw dropped, and he was dumbfounded. An illegitimate child of Andre Ryan? Oh, this was _too_ good! Ryan would have had such a thing happen to him, oh yes. The mother would be obvious, too. Of course, it would be that little slut Jasmine Jolene. Ryan and Diane McClintock? They were never close enough for that sort of rubbish. But how _delightful!_ When Ryan had killed Jasmine, he had never told Cohen why. Only that she was dragging him down the chain. With all the rumors, though? How had he not noticed before?

"My little butterfly, you are always finding a way to out-do yourself. Always impressing me! So what do we do with him now, then? Certainly we can't condemn him to his death."

Aimee stared at Jack for a moment, then sighed. "Continue as planned. But to _not_ kill him. I think Ryan knows. I'd hate to be hunted by Ryan, too. So I guess he's our responsibility. I wonder who is going to have to break the news to the poor kid. It's not his fault, you know. But, I'm going to go lock the metal gates down. Let me know when he awakens, will you?"

As Aimee stalked out of the room, Cohen dragged Jack up the stairs and into Fleet Hall. He dematerialized once Jack was in a seat, and went to fetch Kyle Fitzpatrick. Oh, yes, this would be a rather fitting end to these bastards he had once called his disciples. They had been trying to be rid of them for so long. Betrayal was best punished by death, after all.

Jack awoke sometime later, to a man playing piano. As his vision cleared, he noticed the man's lower half of his body had been plastered to the chair. He heard a man barking orders at him, and the man plastered to the chair shouting back at him in protest. This continued on for about a minute or so, then the young man screamed.

"Oh, god, let me out of here, you sick fuck!" Silence filled the hall, and the other voice sighed.

"Very well, young Fitzpatrick. You've outlived your use to me, anyway." The voice, Jack recognized, was Sander Cohen. There was something in his voice that was dark, and it made Jack uneasy.

Before the man plastered to the piano chair could respond, there was an explosion. Cohen materialized next to Jack, and he jumped. "Oh, don't be frightened. You haven't been scared before this, have you?" The last few words were taunting Jack.

His words caught in his throat. This man was the one that Aimee had been embracing so intimately? This man supposedly had helped save his life? So, maybe Jack owed him something. Maybe he should just cooperate with this man. For all he knew, he was as batshit crazy as the rest of Rapture. And, really, Jack just wanted to go home. Maybe he'd talk Aimee into going with him. She could use the change of scenery, yeah?

"So then, since you seem to know who I am, and I know you, shall we skip the pleasantries? First, would you kindly take a picture of Fitzpatrick's glory? I do believe that's his back moment upon the stage. Let's immortalize him. Go, go, little moth!"

Jack got up and headed towards the stage. He took out his camera, and snapped a picture of the man as he lay against the rubble form of the explosion. He could hear Cohen giggle with delight. He ambled back up to the man, who had a huge grin.

"You see, little moth, young Fitzpatrick lacked discipline, patience, loyalty. The same as nearly all of my disciples, sadly. We are going to... Immortalize them all. The other three are in Poseidon Plaza, should you choose to accept to do this for me. But you should realize, that should you not, neither myself nor Aimee may offer you protection. We will have to deal with the other three on our own."

Jack took a moment to process what Cohen had just said. Kill three more people or go out there without any extra protection? Ironically enough, tough choice. Though they would kill him, given the chance, he was sure.

"Take all the time you need, I've blocked the signals from Atlas and Ryan. Their constant bickering bores me. You're welcome." The last few words came out something dark., and Jack felt himself shudder. Apparently Atlas stepped on toes just as much as Ryan did. That didn't surprise Jack, it seemed that everyone hated each other here. Hated and killed each other. Typical for any city, really. So why talk this place up so much?

"I'll do it, because I feel rather obligated to help Aimee. She doesn't belong here."

Cohen's face turned to stone for a moment or so, and then he just chuckled. "Oh, yes she does. She's as crazy as the rest of us, maybe more." _Nor could I let you take away my precious butterfly. Nobody can have her if I can't, little moth. Not you, not Ryan, nobody._

Jack stood, and looked down at Cohen. "Where is Poseidon Plaza?"

Cohen's smirk grew into a full-blown smile. He knew that Aimee had been his bargaining tool with this young fellow, he took quite a fancy to her. Surely he didn't actually understand the trouble she was, with him or not. She knew Cohen could help her, but what did this one have to offer? He would find out.

"Once you leave, it's to your left. It will be locked, with you inside, until you have finished this mission. You'll enjoy your evening with Sander Cohen, little moth."

Jack nodded. As he got up to leave, he noticed that there were what looked like people plastered to their chairs. Or maybe they _were_ people. Jack didn't want to know, and didn't want to end up like them. So, it would be off to Poseidon Plaza.

_Would this nightmare ever end?_


	6. Poseidon Plaza

**A/N:** It's been awhile again, and I'm sorry! This chapter took awhile, since I not only had to try and remember the names of the Disciples, but to remember where each one was. I realized after I wrote this that Hector wasn't a Houdini, but I didn't feel like re-writing the entire scene. However, it seems to fit more. There's a lot of death and some gruesome details in here, and finally breaking out the hardcore swearing, so be advised. As always, I do not own any of the original characters from Bioshock, nor Rapture. Do enjoy this chapter, feel free to leave any comments/constructive criticism.

_**And enjoy!**_

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**SIX: Poseidon Plaza**

"_An Evening With Sander Cohen_"

AS THE DOORS SLAMMED SHUT TO FLEET HALL, JACK HEARD THE METALLIC GROAN OF A BIG DADDY. He gave an inward groan to himself, not wanting to remember the Splicer he had seen murdered by one of those things. And to make it even worse...

"Come on, Mr. B! Angels are waiting."

The Little Sister. Looking to harvest ADAM from all the dead Splicers. After a little bit of seeing them harvest, Jack was almost thoroughly sickened. That giant needle, everything. He only hoped that he wouldn't run face-to-face with either of them. He had no idea of those things were human under the helmet, and he really didn't want to know. He just really wanted them as far away as possible. He took a deep breath, and made his way across to the sign that pointed to Poseidon Plaza in neon letters.

Jack had to be honest, he was still in marvel about the neon signs that were all over Rapture. Sure, they had a few of these on the surface. But _none_ of them were like this. Rapture was certainly a marvel, so many of the things here didn't exist outside the city. Breaking him out of this trance was the thudding footsteps of the approaching Big Daddy. And as if on cue, the clanging of a Spider Splicer came from above him. He heard the drop, and she was behind him, whispering in his ear.

"The child is mine, you know. All mine." She chuckled, and took in a deep breath. Jack moved away, and she screamed. "She's mine, you Monster! Mine, you can't have her!"

Jack dodged the blade that came for his throat, and automatically took out the pistol he had acquired, fired a shot, then dove for cover. The Splicer screamed again, enraged.

"Stop hiding, Monster, I can see you!" She dove over the top of the thick railing where Jack was hiding. As a knee-jerk reaction, Jack fired the pistol again, before she could attack. The bullet went right through the open mouth of the Splicer, leaving a large red splatter on the wall behind her. The body made a wet _thud_ as it hit the ground.

"Mr. B! An angel!" The Little Sister was at the top of the stairs, staring down at him and the dead Splicer. Jack felt himself go completely still, his eyes never leaving the Little Sister. The metallic groan of the Big Daddy echoed in the now empty hallway. It was so loud, it hurt Jack's ears.

The Little Sister gleefully hopped down the steps, and shoved her needle into the dead Splicer, while it made an ugly sucking noise. She drew it out, released the trigger, and shoved the needle back in. The Big Daddy made a growling noise in warning to Jack from the top of the stairs. Jack nodded at the Big Daddy, slowly backing down the stairs. He didn't break eye contact until the wail of other Splicers began down the hall.

Jack closed his eyes and swore to himself. _It's like this goddamn things can smell the ADAM,_ he thought. _Especially when those Little Sisters begin to harvest. They appear out of nowhere!_ This was about to get very ugly, very quickly. He continued down the steps, ears open to all sounds around him.

He made it to the door just as the clang of Spider Splicers echoed in the hall. Biting his lip, Jack silently evaluated the situation. He could choose to attack the Big Daddy, assist it, or to simply take off. Those Big Daddies typically carried quite a bit of cash, but was it worth the trouble of battling the damned metal thing? From his experience so far, it was more trouble than it was worth. They were vicious. Damn near impenetrable. The last one he was mixed up with cost him all of his ammunition, but at least he got a pretty penny out of it. He's sure Aimee would tell him to leave it, though. Nasty as those Little Sisters are, Rapture needed them.

The door opened behind him, and he felt a cold breeze at his back. He hesitated for a moment, then decided that the battle wasn't worth the trouble. He started down the frozen corridor, noticing a body frozen to the ceiling. Jack shuddered a bit, and continued onward. The door at the end of the hall was frozen shut, and Jack had to equip Incinerate!, a plasmid that was starting to come in quite a bit of use down here. As he was about to fire, a voice sounded off behind him.

"So, the old man finally sent someone after me, that's too bad." Jack ran towards the voice, but he disappeared. The air began to get chillier, and everything began to freeze over. The man reappeared with a chuckle. "I've got the perfect position all picked out for you."

Sometime later, Jack regained his consciousness. As he melted down and regained movement in his hands, Jack shivered. The man appeared in front of him, looking a bit disappointed.

"You must be something special, kid. It's a damn shame I'll have to kill you."

The man raised his hand, ready to fire another blast of ice at him. Jack, however, still had his Incinerate! Plasmid equipped. He fired before the other man could. The man let out a scream, and Jack backed away from him. His flaming silhouette screamed in agony, falling to his knees. Jack pulled the pistol out of his pocket, and fired a shot off at the man, catching him in the chest. He went down quickly, and made a gurgling sound, the blood seeping out of his mouth. After a moment or so, he stopped breathing entirely, and the flames began to die down.

Sander Cohen's voice appeared over the radio, excited. "Oh, how delightful! That Martin Finnegan always was a bit of a royal pain, as much as he was my favorite of the four... Now quick, catch him in his final moment of glory!" Jack shuddered, and snapped a photo of the still burning body, and quickly sidestepped him. He melted down the ice that held the door shut, and continued on.

"The next pest we have to take care of is Hector Rodriguez. I'm sure you'll find him in Eve's Garden, that scum's favorite hideout. But let me warn you, little moth. This one is volatile, and I'd hate to see you hurt."

Poseidon Plaza was huge. Two floors, and they both seemed likely to have been filled at one point. It was more like a _shopping mall_ than a plaza, but that wasn't the point. Jack began to wander, searching for Eve's Garden. He turned a corner, and saw the neon lights at the end of the hallway for it. The massive doors were guarded by turrets, which required Jack to use his Electro Bolt plasmid, and then quickly disarm them. As soon as the doors opened, their only defense having been shut off, Jack took a deep breath. In front of him was a stripper pole, and it looked like there was still money on the floor around it. He took a couple looks around, then approached the stage to grab the abandoned dollars. As soon as he touched the first one, a ghostly image appeared before him. It made him shudder.

To be honest, Jack was really starting to get sick of seeing these ghosts. They had been in The Medical Pavilion, Neptune's Bounty, in Arcadia, and now here, in Fort Frolic? But this one... this one was different. He felt a pull towards her, as she danced on the stripper pole. She stopped, with a broad smile, saying, "I've been waiting for you." Jack followed this ghost down the hall behind the pole, listening to her provocative words. Behind the closed doors, he heard a woman scream, begging for her life from Andrew Ryan.

As the last scream ended rather abruptly, the door opened. Jack shuddered, and looked at the corpse on the bed. This had been the woman that Ryan had killed, sprawled out across the bed. He had a feeling about her, after listening to the audio diary that was locked in the safe near the bed. He stared long and hard at the corpse, and pulled a couple strands of hair that still seemed to be blonde. Tucking the strands carefully into the front pocket of his pants, Jack went back to the safe, rummaging for whatever he could find in there. Finally emptied, he stood to leave, casting one last look at the corpse.

Coming back down the hallway, he heard another voice. It was a man, whose words were slurring, yet filled with annoyance. Jack figured this was probably the man Cohen had him looking for. What was his name? Hector. Hector...ah, hell with it, it didn't matter anyway. Jack was going to have to kill him. As he peeped around the corner, he saw him. Wearing a bird mask, he slammed his fist on the desk.

"This is poor service," his Southern accent drawled. "What does a man have to do to get a goddamn drink around here?" The now empty bottle in his hand made its way across the counter, and smashed into pieces on the floor. He let out a grunt, and turned away from the counter. He made eye contact with Jack, and a sick smile spread across his face. "Hello, beautiful." And he disappeared.

Jack readied this pistol for when he reappeared, hopping down off the stage. He looked around the room as he headed towards the bar, to check it for any sort of ammunition it may have hiding behind it. Cohen had been right, though. This man certainly seemed volatile. Even more so than the others he'd met around Rapture. Maybe he had a drinking issue before he came down here, and the lack of supply triggered a violent breakdown. Either way, Jack really wanted this part to be over with.

He heard him re-materialize in another part of the room, and just managed to dodge a fireball. As he rolled out of the way, he heard the other man laugh. Jack looked up at the bar stool that had caught the fireball near him. The smell of melting vinyl filled his nostrils. He made a disgusted noise, looked around for Hector, but he had disappeared again. These damn Houdini Splicers, as Aimee had called them, were annoying as hell.

Jack began to slowly get up, and Hector suddenly reappeared. Jack spun and shot him, more than once. Hector slowly collapsed, taking several bullets to the chest. Jack took a moment to breathe after the man had collapsed on top of him, then shoved off the corpse. He sighed at the fresh blood on his sweater. _Going to have to find some new clothes, fuck. I don't care if other people wander around all torn up and shit... I can't look like this!_

"Feisty one, wasn't he?" Sander's voice cooed to Jack over the radio, then he chuckled. "That drunken bastard was really grating on my last nerves. Go on, would you kindly capture him in all the glory he'll ever have."

Jack obeyed, wondering what these men had actually done to Cohen and Aimee. He sighed, looking at the body of Hector, and waited for the next one that Cohen was going to tell him to kill. The room was eerily quiet for awhile, so Jack headed behind the bar, grabbing a bottle of what was labeled as _Arcadia Merlot._ He opened the top, and took a few long drinks from the bottle. When the radio came to life with static, Jack nearly dropped the bottle. Cohen's voice was firm, almost annoyed with this. Jack couldn't blame him, how could you just sit around ordering people to kill when you didn't get to watch? Or maybe something else had happened, that would have explained the silence..

"Now then, the last one is Silas Cobb. If I remember correctly, he's holed up inside Rapture Records. While it isn't a huge place, Cobb is sneaky. Be wary of anything and everything around you until he's dead."

Jack grumbled, setting the bottle of wine down on the counter. Just what he needed, a sneaky one. He headed out of Eve's Garden, and stopped dead as soon as the doors closed. He let out an inward groan, seeing the Big Daddy and Little Sister that he narrowly avoided at the doorway to the Plaza. They were headed his way, no doubt to get the ADAM from Hector. He really didn't want to fight it right now, but he felt that it was unavoidable.

The Little Sister saw Jack, weapon in hand, and the froze. Her face filled up with fear, and she took the Big Daddy's hand. "Mr. B, I don't like this man. Kill him!" The Big Daddy let out a groan of what seemed to be protest to the Little Sister, and a warning growl to Jack, who sighed. Battle was inevitable at this point, and a big battle it was going to be.

Jack equipped the Electro Bolt plasmid, and threw a shock at the Big Daddy. He let out an angry moan, and rushed towards Jack when he recovered- which was fast, to Jack's surprise. Jack winced in wait of what the Big Daddy would bring as he attempted to rush out of the way. He fired off another bolt, and a couple of shotgun rounds.

The Big Daddy roared in rage, and charged again, sending Jack back. He shook it off slowly, hazily throwing off another bolt, and two more shotgun rounds. When the Big Daddy got close enough, Jack jumped up on its shoulders, and jammed his wrench into the back of the helmet. He had to repeat the process a couple of times, until finally the Big Daddy gave an dying moan, and it collapsed. The lights faded on its helmet, and Jack rolled off, catching his breath. It had been sheer luck he had found the sweet spot on the back of the helmet.

The Little Sister stood next to the Big Daddy, crying. Begging him to wake up. Jack felt bad for a moment. The Big Daddy had been the kid's protector around the city. God knows they were too small to protect themselves. Then Jack remembered. Tenenbaum had given him a plasmid to save the girls. He almost smiled in spite of himself, getting up off the floor. He picked the girl up, and she struggled and screamed against him. Jack placed his hand on her forehead, and a light blossomed for a bit, then went dim. He set the child down.

"Thank you, Mister." Her eyes no longer red, she bowed to him, then scampered off towards the vents. As he turned away from her, he checked the Big Daddy for cash. He was carrying $92, score! He was also carrying some shotgun shells, which was even more awesome. He headed towards the stairs that he had seen in the middle of the Plaza, and slowly ascended them.

Rapture Records was just off to the right, but the place was empty! He searched the top floor, and found nothing. He had to drop from a drop off, since the stairs were gone, to get to the bottom. He approached a man in a chair, and heard a ticking sound. Jack jumped away in fear. A bomb! He ran to a corner, and the bomb went off. As the flame spread to the vents, Jack could hear the cries of Spider Splicers burning. How lucky that the explosion was controlled, since the lower level was nearly empty otherwise.

When the smile cleared, Jack found a way back up to the top. There was a little panel on the wall that he simply had to dislodge, and crawl up. Waiting for him, as soon as he dropped from the opening upstairs, was Silas Cobb. He wore a sneer that was...exhilarated that Jack wasn't dead. He threw a grenade towards Jack, then took off.

"That old man will never get me! I'll kill that bastard first!"

Jack jumped behind the counter to avoid the blast from the grenade, barely missing it. As soon as the explosion sounded off, Jack jumped out from behind the counter, ears ringing, taking off after Silas. This one? Oh yeah, Jack actually _wanted_ this asshole dead. Silas had been distracted by a few Splicers a little ways down the hall. Jack smirked, and took a running swing at the man's head with his wrench. Silas went down, and Jack struck him again, to keep him down while he fended off the attacking Splicers.

Finally, the Splicers were down, and Jack turned his attention back to Silas Cobb. He felt himself smile, and it must have looked quite odd to the barely conscious Silas. He raised his wrench again, landing another blow on the man. He continued to strike him, probably long after he was dead. When Jack landed his final blow, he was breathing heavily. He laughed, _glad_ this one was gone. He had been a royal fucking pain.

"Oh, Little Moth, you've done so well. After you've gotten your shot of your beautiful work, come back to Fleet Hall. I must look upon your work."

Jack let out a heavy sigh of relief, capturing a shot of the bloody mess that was once Silas Cobb. Now, maybe he could find out more about that woman in Eve's Garden and earn a new ally in the process. He wasn't entirely sure about Aimee, but to get Sander Cohen? Cohen seemingly knew everything about everyone. Maybe that was an act, but Jack was willing to bet on it. Cohen knew everything and everyone, as Aimee probably did, too. But they had a few huge differences.

Cohen seemed to know mostly rumors about everything outside of Fort Frolic, from the bits and pieces he'd gotten from Aimee along the way. Hell, he'd probably made many of them up. Aimee, on the other hand, was inner circle. She probably knew more than anyone else did, possibly more than Ryan himself. She had been immersed with everyone else, right?

Jack finally started through the frozen corridor back to Fleet Hall. He glanced at the corpse of Martin Finnegan and shuddered. The whole thing was a bit surreal to him, having just murdered three men for another person. He shook off the feeling as he went past, just wanting to finish this job for Cohen. Finish and move on, the next portion of just getting home.

Would Cohen have the answers? Does Aimee? Maybe that Tenenbaum did, she seemed to know more than anyone what was really going on here. That feeling was a bit unnerving, and it made Jack hesitate before he even went through the door that led back to Fleet Hall. This was a waste of time, he knew, to hesitate like this. He didn't have time for this if he planned to stay alive through this whole ordeal.

Hearing the _whir_ of the door shut behind him, Jack did a mental survey of the room. It seemed, for once, quiet. The way Jack liked it. But he knew. Quiet meant nothing here. There could still be something around the corner. And that was something that wasn't so different from the surface world. After all, places like New York City? They were essentially a nightmare. Though now? It seemed like paradise in comparison to this place. And that was downright depressing. Suddenly, Sander Cohen's voice came over the intercom system. Or was it just the radio? Whatever.

"Oh, Little Moth. I can hear you! Quickly, to the main foyer. There, we can truly display your work. I can't wait for you to finish my Masterpiece."

Jack sucked in a deep breath, then headed around the corner towards the grand staircase. He was suddenly caught off guard by the sound of hushed voices from behind the doors to Fleet Hall. He recognized one of the voices as Aimee, the other as Sander Cohen. Surprisingly, Aimee seemed upset. Was it Cohen? The doors made a sound to indicate that they were locked, and both voices stopped. They were silent for a beat or so, then resumed their intent arguing.

"You did _what?_ Sander, do you have any idea what you just caused? Why? Isn't it bad enough that _we_ have him to deal with? Why create _more_ trouble?" Was she talking about him, or some other poor sod? He could hear Cohen sigh.

"That's the true test, Aimee. This one has such an unsettling fascination with you, my dear. Why would I let that get in the way of our plans? It could ruin everything!"

"Our plans? An _unsettling fascination?_ What are you on about? I still can't understand why he even needs to be in the picture! We have enough on our hands already, don't you think?"

"That's the beauty of it, Aimee. Richard never has to be our problem. He'll take our orders gleefully, and that's that. Maybe we should partner him with Jack while we figure the rest of this out."

The silence, Jack took as an angry look from Aimee. That much would make sense. But who was this person they were talking about? Why would 'partnering' him with Jack help? This was just getting weirder as it went on.

"This shouldn't even involve Jack! I can't believe that you've done this. Let him be your problem, and Jack mine."

He didn't want to hear anything more. Jack nearly raced down the steps, and stopped dead at the bottom. What stood in front of him was what looked like plastered people to what looked like photo frames. Four of them. Jack stared, then slowly placed the photos he had taken on it- in the order he killed them. It seemed so morbid, but it had to be done. As soon as the last one was placed, a celebratory noise came from behind it, confetti shooting everywhere. Jack jumped. This seemed a bit elaborate for something that must have been planned so quickly... Brushing the thoughts aside, he waited for Sander Cohen to appear.

It was a couple of minutes before he did, and he seemed to be distracted. Jack almost chuckled. When Aimee argued, he noticed, she almost always got her way. Her way of arguing was always one that made you either fear her or feel stupid in comparison. Oh, yes, she was very smart indeed.

"Well, what do you think of it? The poses aren't 'artistic,' I guess, but it's not like I chose them. They just sort of...died that way. Kind of annoying, really."

Cohen finally looked at Jack, then at the set of photos in front of him. He managed a small smile, then looked back at Jack. "You really did it, hmm? I'm impressed. And they're all so damn graceful. Like angels. I especially love what you did with Cobb, that nasty thing. You have a real gift, Little Moth. A very strong gift." Cohen trailed off, and Jack could have sworn he heard him say 'like your father.'

"A gift, huh? For killing people? Well, isn't that just damn morbid." But Cohen was right. Jack felt empowered by it, and was starting to enjoy it. He was even thinking of new ways to either elongate the moment, or make it snappy. Or more bloody. He considered trying to create a drill similar to the ones on the Big Daddy. His thoughts were interrupted by Cohen speaking.

"That very well may be. Most things are rather morbid down here. Either way, you can't deny that you have a gift. Whether it applies to just murder remains to be seen, but I have a hunch. You're going to be good at whatever you try. But now, you've kept your word, and I shall keep to mine. You have made an ally of Sander Cohen."

Jack let out a sigh of relief. At least there were people he could trust now. He hoped. Then came the big question Jack had almost forgot, the woman in Eve's Garden. He had to know. She was _familiar_ to him, but how? He had never been here before.

"I have one request," he said as Cohen started back up the stairs. "The woman in Eve's Garden, in the room behind the stage. Who is she? I...I saw her...die...in a vision, I guess. I need to know. Who is she, and why am I so drawn to everything about her?" He realized he sounded desperate. But, well, he was. He wanted to know everything about her. If he was right, and he had read enough about those Pneumo tubes, maybe he could bring her back...

Cohen stopped in his tracks and spun around. "Her...She's...She was...Jasmine Jolene. Come upstairs. I'm sure Aimee will tell you more."

So, if Cohen wouldn't talk about it, would Aimee? Jack could tell her had stumbled upon something big, since it had struck a nerve with Cohen. Now, all that was left was to get the answers he needed.


	7. Cohen's Dressing Room

**A/N:** Hi, everyone, I'm back again! Sorry it took almost a month to get this guy up, I haven't really had working internet for awhile. This one is short, but the next one won't be. (Which is finished, by the way, I just need to type it up and add it!) I decided to take the story in a different direction here, showing a more heartless side of Aimee. Hopefully I get the motivation to add the next chapter, it's a long one, and really expands on Jack & Tenenbaum. I also have to admit, it was really hard not to bring in that budding romance between Jack and Aimee in this chapter, but I did it! So, until the next chapter is up, read, comment, ect. But above all...

_**Enjoy.**_

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Seven: Cohen's Dressing Room

THEY TOOK THE ELEVATOR UP TO COHEN'S DRESSING ROOM. It was a mess, makeup and clothes everywhere. What on Earth did Cohen do up here? Finally, he saw Aimee. She was quietly sitting at a back desk, looking at her reflection. She had a black makeup stick in her hand. Neither Cohen nor Jack said anything as she began to draw a thin line above and below her eyes.

It occurred to Jack that he had never really _looked_ at her eyes. They were a beautiful shade of green, and one could get lost in them. They were bright, almost like a milky jade color. Also that she didn't bother making herself up, so no elaborate makeup. None of the odd things that so many of the inhabitants of Rapture were. Aimee was almost normal to Jack, so why did Cohen claim her to be "just as crazy as the rest?"

Maybe they were both hiding something from Jack. He wouldn't be surprised, that seemed common practice in Rapture. He would probably be disappointed, though. Everyone was always say one thing, mean another, different stories. Was it not the same on the surface, though? Then what made Rapture so grand? The announcements advocated freedom from the "parasites" of the surface. Jack didn't understand that, the people were the same, if not worse, down here. He really wanted to put Aimee above the rest of this, to believe that she was really a good person.

Still, he marveled at her beauty. And apparently, so was Cohen. The room was silent, save for Aimee, who blissfully ignored the presence of the two. Jack wondered if she led a bit of a double life, now that he was thinking about Cohen's claim. She seemed so damn elegant, why be stuck down here, in the middle of the North Atlantic? A part of the fame, maybe? But this place was in ruins. Nobody would ever hear of Rapture. It was definitely a marvel, but a shame, it was going to waste so fast. Suddenly, Cohen cleared his throat. Aimee turned to him sharply. The look in her eye screamed irritation, but she smiled sweetly. Cohen faintly smiled at her, Jack only frowned.

"So, then, young Jack agreed?" She almost sounded bored. Another side of Aimee he hadn't seen before.

"Agreed _and _delivered. Quite a beautiful show, I must admit. As such, my dear, there is a story that we owe this little moth."

Aimee's brows raised in mock interest. "Oh? What kind of story does he require?"

Cohen hesitated for a moment, then seemed to look at his toes. After a moment, he looked back at Aimee. "Jasmine Jolene. I suppose he happened to stumble upon the body. Though, he claims to have seen her ghost."

Aimee looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. She turned back to the mirror, continuing to apply the makeup to her eyes. "Come, Jack. Have a seat. I can explain most of what you're looking for."

Jack nodded, uncertain of whether to trust her. He was seeing a new side of Aimee, although it seemed as though every woman had a side like this. He slowly made his way across the small room to Aimee, taking the stool next to her. He was sure this was a trap, but how to prove it? They had promised allies, but were all smiles and promises. It made Jack very uneasy.

"See, you are very much a part of Rapture, Jack," Aimee began. "You belong here. And I say this due to young Jasmine Jolene. I really don't know all of the details, simply that she is your Mother. Your father, well, that's a little more complicated."

Jack stared at Aimee, trying to comprehend what was being said to her. That woman was his mother? Impossible, Jack already had a mother, and a father, up on the surface. Why was Aimee telling him this? Was she lying to him? A part of Rapture... That was something new, but why did these things always happen to him?

"Your face says that you don't believe me. I don't blame you, but this is what I sent Langford for." She handed him a sheet of paper from the desk in front of her, and then went back to the mirror. "DNA testing. I had a hunch, you could say. As it turns out, Jack, you match with Jasmine Jolene _and_ one other person in Rapture. A very important person. And this one that I'm sure will upset you." Her tone was matter-of-fact, and her face serious. She really believed what she was saying. DNA testing, though? He hadn't any idea what she was talking about. Sure, he knew a bit about genetics. They were all taught that in school, right?

"So explain this to me again... I need to understand what you're telling me. You say Jasmine Jolene, that dead woman in Eve's Garden, is my Mother?"

Aimee nodded slowly. "Yes. Though it doesn't look as though she carried you to term. Now, while we're sure she got around a lot, there's a very important factor. Jasmine Jolene was Andrew Ryan's Mistress." Aimee let that sink in for a moment or so, never breaking her gaze into the mirror. If he didn't die from shock, he may just off himself, and Aimee couldn't have that.

Jack sat for a moment or so, contemplating everything Aimee had just said. What if she was right? What did that make him, then? She had mentioned that this woman had not carried him to term. Was he donated, then? Is that why he saw Ryan kill her in a vision? "Okay, well.. Suppose you're right."

"I _am_ right, Jack."

"Okay. But, for my sanity. Say I believe you. Does that make Andrew Ryan my father, and what on Earth does that make me? I just... This makes no sense to me."

Aimee sighed. "Well, you would have to find Tenenbaum for that." She lifted her hands in a questioning gesture. "Only she knows now, she's the only one left alive."

"The only one left alive?" Jack's voice held concern and doubt. What did Aimee mean?

"Yes," Aimee nodded. "Dr. Yi Suchong and Frank Fontaine were involved, but they're both dead. All that's left is Tenenbaum, who may not survive, either." _Except I'm pretty sure that fucking Fontaine is still out there. Just because they say that they killed him... I won't believe it. The thing they brought in was not the Frank Fontaine I had known. Fontaine had never spliced before, and that damn thing certainly had. He's hiding out somewhere, I know it._

Jack looked down. All this death. After a moment of rather awkward silence, he found himself chuckling. He didn't know why, he just couldn't control it. "Has it always been like this? I mean, really, so much death and shit. You'd think someone would have the fucking mind to try and keep the peace! Do you punish people at all here?"

Cohen cleared his throat. "See, little moth, this is the great chain. The strong survive, thrive. The weak are swallowed, forgotten. I suppose you could say survival of the fittest, just like Darwinism and evolution. We are not bound by law, but by our desire to achieve. The pure instinct to survive."

Jack burst into laughter. "Is this serious? Holy shit."

Aimee and Cohen both shifted uncomfortably. Aimee shook her head, her voice coming out empty, unemotional. "Why do you think there are so many dead."

As he digested that, Jack realized they were serious. "Well fuck me..."

"Jack, I'm going to take you to Tenenbaum. I promise this is all going to make sense." Aimee nodded, finishing the last of the makeup around her eyes. "Cohen, darling, be sure to send... back up. I don't particularly care for dying tonight."

Cohen nodded, leaving Jack and Aimee. The silence between them was tense, and she was now intent on ignoring Jack's presence. Jack placed his hand on Aimee's, and she cast him a sidelong glance.

"Aimee, where is Tenenbaum?"

"I don't know. But I know the place that tells your story. She'll surely appear along the way. I'm sure she'd just _love_ to see you again."

Obviously, there was no love lost between the two, and Jack wondered why. He knew the Little Sister was her doing... what else? What was there to make Aimee so bitter?

"We're going to where it all began for you. Hopefully all the data is still there."

"Where?"

"Fontaine Futuristics."


	8. Fontaine Futuristics

**A/N:** I did it! I managed to type this one up, and submit it by the end of the day~ It's a little bit on the long side, and it goes into more detail behind Jack, and some into Tenenbaum. Definitely expands more on the character of Aimee, and I think within the next chapter or so, you'll hear more about who Aimee is, and probably more about the blossoming romance between her and Jack. Thank you for all those that are following and reading. I will _try_ to get nine up soon! As always~

_**Enjoy.**_

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Eight: Fontaine Futuristics  
"_Jack's Origins"_

THE DOORS WEREN'T VERY INVITING, AND IT MADE JACK A TAD BIT UNEASY. So many things here made Jack uneasy, but her had to keep an open mind. Aimee claimed this is where it all began, maybe she was right. Would that make him an actual bastard child? His father would have never known of him, his mother not alive to watch him grow.

But it seemed they were both so young. How was any of this even possible? The questions whirred around in his head, making him ill. The room spun with his thoughts, but it all stopped at a _click,_ and the doors opened. The foyer that stood before was massive.

Aimee turned to him, smirk on her face. "Welcome home, Jack. You spent most of your time here, if what I've heard is correct."

_If what I've heard is correct,_ he thought. _Goddamn this place is a rumor mill! Do they have anything to do other than talk about each other?_ He attempted a chuckle, which came out as more of a choked sound.

"Is something wrong, Jack?" Aimee cast a glance at him, eyes in an analyzing glare. It caused him to look down like a scolded child.

"No, just wondering how much of this is based on rumors. Everything is always a rumor or a story. What gives?"

"Most people are private. But all we have is Rapture. It passes the time, keeps most of us from cabin fever. Not everything is so dark, you know. We're simply in a Civil War. And you're either Atlas or Ryan. And even in that, it's every man for himself."

"Why so brutal? It's just so cut and dry, I can't see why they don't reason with each other."

Aimee shook her head. "What they want is radically different, Jack. Ryan wants a 100% free market. No strings, no regulations. Complete freedom. A man can make or break himself, chose is own path. Atlas wants this to be more like the surface, I suppose. He wants us to literally be humble servants." The last few words she spat like poison.

Jack to a moment to think, then responded. "Well, then that do _you_ want, Aimee?"

"I...I guess that I want them both. I want the liberty, but the security. What Ryan wants, in theory, is perfect. But, we need the security that Atlas wants to prosper. The pantries, homes for the poor, orphanages.. The charity part? That's what Rapture lacks. We've become so wrapped in being self-absorbed and self-sufficient, that we've forgotten the little guys that helped us get as far as we are."

Jack could almost feel her sadness as she admitted that. He felt for her- Rapture was her home. And apparently it had all gone to shit, very fast. Not exactly what an ideal living environment is. But he sighed. "A perfect place can't exist. You know that."

The look that Aimee gave him was hollow, and her voice matched. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I know. It doesn't matter who runs Rapture, Jack. There will always be a struggle for power. There will always be _war."_

He didn't know what to say. Aimee looked away, then started up the stairs. She was so damn insightful. Maybe Langford was right, Aimee _would_ be what's best for Rapture. Her ideals were sound, she was sane (he hoped,) and she wanted for Rapture. Not for the power behind ruling. But then, to try and convince Ryan. While, sure, he had to see him anyway, trying to prove a point while not dying? Another story entirely. One question lingered in Jack's mind.

Could Aimee be corrupted? She was human, after all. Maybe she could be.

"Jack," Aimee called from the top of the staircase. "You alright? Sure that you're ready for this?" Was she taunting him? Seriously?

Jack hurried up the stairs after her, mumbling to himself. She was just so damn bipolar sometimes. She'd go from sweet and helpful to a bitter bitch like it was nothing. How _lucky_ that he was so drawn to her, of all the citizens in Rapture.

The top of the stairwell split off into two directions. Both Aimee and Jack stared into both directions. Without saying a word, moments later, Aimee went to the left. She moved quickly, so Jack had to run after her. He stopped dead at the door she had gone through. Trap bolts everywhere! Fontaine took security seriously, huh?

He followed her through all of the loopholes. It was a slow, and kind of annoying process. One wrong move, though, and he was given the biggest shock of his life. Thus, it could be as tedious as it wanted. He would do whatever it took to stay alive. If it meant staying with Aimee like a small dog... Than so be it.

Cohen had promised an ally out of them both, so now it was seeing if they stuck to their word. So far, so good. But there was this nagging feeling in the back of his head. One of them was going to betray him, he could feel it. And that was not a pleasant feeling.

As they made it through all of the trap bolts, Aimee rushed to the other side of the room, taking a flask filled with some yellow elixir, her eyes wide. Apparently, this was of some value, she seemed thrilled to find it. She hid it in her bag, then rummaged through a few drawers. She produced an audio diary, and turned to Jack.

It was marked as "Ace In The Hole," as she handed it to him. He took it, wondering if this held all the answers. Hesitantly, he looked from Aimee to the audio diary, then back again. Finally, he clicked the 'play' button, and was greeted by the voice of Frank Fontaine.

_'Tenenbaum told me that Jasmine Jolene accepted the offer we made her to take the fetus. It seems she wants to break free of Andrew Ryan's shadow. I don't blame the kid, really. She came here to be a star, but has just been a stripper instead. While I can't complain, she's a looker, it's a damn shame.'_

Fontaine paused for a moment, as if lost in thought, then continued, with a laugh, _'She's so scared, but she doesn't know that Ryan will find out. Meanwhile, Suchong has claimed he can genetically make the kid grow fast. Fast enough to use against Ryan. And that's the ace in the hole, use Ryan's own kid against him. They suggested mentally training him, make him do anything at a key phrase. What do we pick? I think I may have just the phrase.'_

The diary ended there, and Jack looked at Aimee, unable to comprehend. Does this mean that his life on the surface was a lie? That he really wasn't Jack Wynard? Atlas had advised him to introduce himself as a Ryan to possibly avoid conflict. So far, it hadn't worked. Only caused _more_ trouble, and was making him doubt Atlas. How annoying was that? Now, there was this. How many diaries were there? He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He looked down.

"If you think that was bad, you really don't want to know the rest of the story, huh?" There was no compassion in her voice. It wasn't taunting, either. Flat, and emotionless. Telling him the truth. Usual for Aimee. Nothing but brutal honesty. Jack made a step towards her, but was hit with a vision. The picture in his wallet. The family he thought he had. Was it all a lie, really?

"Aimee, my world is upside down. How are you expecting me to feel right now? This is fucked. This is so fucked. Don't you get it? How would _you_ feel if you discovered your entire life was a damn _lie?"_

She didn't recoil, like he expected her to. She just laughed at him. Like he had told a joke. Her laughter was almost hysterical. She wiped a tear from her eye, and suddenly got serious. "I would find out why. Everyone that was involved. Take them out one by one. I'd get _answers, _Jack. And that's what I expect you to do. Do you understand me?"

Jack didn't know what to say to such a brutal response. Other than she was right. That's what he wanted- answers. Why do a thing like this? He would find out, and use Aimee's knowledge of Rapture to do so.

"Your silence says yes. So let's move on, shall we?" Aimee left the drawers open, and went through the door to her right. Jack followed, and it led to a large lab. There were lots of cabinets, many of them collecting dust. The table in the middle of the room had blood on it, and an audio diary in the middle. It was marked as "Baby Jack." He picked it up, and clicked the play button. At first it said nothing, then there was Tenenbaum's voice.

_'Fontaine has named the child Jack- likens himself a Father. He progresses rapidly, no doubt to Suchong's compound. Child grows more every day, he is already big enough to be a year old. We teach him to speak. That seems hard. Soon, we begin conditioning.'_

It ended abruptly. Jack's heart sank. Tenenbaum had been involved? Why would she help Jack, then? She had given him gifts for saving the Little Sisters. Was it really so one-sided? She didn't care about Jack, no. She cared about the Little Sisters.

"Aimee, what does she mean by conditioning? I don't understand. What compound, and who is Suchong?"

Aimee handed him another audio diary, this one labeled "Would You Kindly?" Jack shuddered. Aimee was the one who pressed play. The time it was an Asian man's voice. Was this Suchong? It had to be.

_'Fontaine want mental conditioning. He already expect accelerated growth, he expect everything. Suchong say okay, Fontaine pay big bucks. He want child to respond to 'would you kindly,' like small dog. To this, Suchong agree. Children are nasty, so why not make them slave to do something?'_

Jack dropped the audio diary. This confirmed what Aimee had told him. He looked to her for support, but she was gone. When had she left? She was so damn quiet, curse her! Instead of following her, he continued his search of the lab. After a bit, the door opened. He looked up to say something to Aimee, but saw Tenenbaum. His face went from surprised to angry quickly, and Tenenbaum didn't back off. She didn't even seem upset that Jack was angry. Of all things, she was rather _understanding_ looking. That enraged Jack even more.

"The entire time, you lied to me. You knew everything about me, yet treated me like a complete and utter stranger. Why? What kind of person _are_ you?"

Tenenbaum didn't respond. Her face stayed sympathetic. She put her hands in the air, and slowly moved towards Jack. She didn't take her eyes off him, simply just...stared. Finally, she was face-to-face with him. Then, she spoke.

"I am sorry to have tricked you. I needed you to help me, and in return I help you. What Fontaine did, I can fix. If you let me."

Jack laughed at her. "Yeah, you just need me to help you. With these monsters you created, right?"

"They are children! Why is it that you must call them monsters? You have already saved several, it it not what you want?"

He didn't say a word. He stared straight into Tenenbaum's face, and thought for a moment. If Tenenbaum could help him out, then maybe he would keep her alive. But first, to put on the pressure. He raised his pistol up between her eyes. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to protest. Jack shook his head.

"You better be telling the truth, if you're going to speak. Otherwise, you shut your mouth now."

Tenenbaum closed her mouth, and nodded. She was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "Okay, if it is the truth you really seek. But it is not a pretty one."

"Look, lady. Pretty or not, you tell me! Or this bullet will go between your eyes."

"Okay, okay. I will tell you. Your mother did not want you, she was scared of Ryan. She came to me, ask me for help. I help her, Fontaine pay her. Ryan found out, he killed her. Fontaine use Suchong and I to acclerate your growth, to mentally condition you to respond to every command with the prompt of 'would you kindly.' As you are grown, he sent you to surface. You were meant to return here. He bred you to kill Andrew Ryan. So, yes, you are a Ryan, but you are more like a Fontaine."

Jack said nothing. He had already known most of that. But what of the family that he supposedly had? She said nothing of that. "What of the Wynards? Did they ever exist?"

"No. None of that was real."

Suddenly feeling tired, Jack leaned back against the lab table. Everything he knew was a lie? He was meant to kill Ryan? This was too much. He looked up at Tenenbaum, whose face still held sympathy. It irritated him, her acting so damn... _motherly._ Part of this entire mess was her fault. This bitch!

"Jack, I know you are angry. I am sorry for the pain I cause you. But I can help you, trust me. I know Aimee works to help you, but she cannot fix everything. The big thing I can offer you is a normal life, since I have taken away childhood. Trust me, Jack."  
Almost as if she heard, Aimee reappeared. She looked smugly at Tenenbaum, and crossed the room to Jack. He wondered what Tenenbaum had meant when she said Aimee couldn't fix everything. What was she trying so hard to fix now? Aimee placed her hand on Jack's shoulder, where he felt sparks from her fingertips.

"So she told you, yes?"

Jack nodded in response. Both Tenenbaum and Amy stared at Jack. He felt the heat from Aimee's eyes, analytic. Tenenbaum, on the other hand, was full of concern. "Everything. It still doesn't make sense to me, but I figure in time it will." He sighed. "She says she can fix this, Aimee. Do you believe her?"

Aimee shrugged. "I know not a damn thing about science. If she believes it, though? Certainly she knows what she's talking about. Let her try it. Worst case scenario is that she's wrong."

_Of course that doesn't affect you,_ Jack thought. _It works to your advantage that Tenenbaum can't fix me. But she says that she can, so I just have to trust her, huh. Some big help you're being._ He sighed again, not seeing much of an alternative. "Well... If you're sure, then okay..." _I only have everything to lose._

Tenenbaum took a deep breath. "Okay, you must lay on table. I will give you something to sleep. Or..."

"Or?" Aimee's eyebrows raised, her single word echoing in the room like an accusation, an accent slipping through. "What are you going on about, you Crazy Kraut?"

This was the first time he'd heard an accent from Aimee. It was definitely European, and angry. Jack didn't know what to say, but Tenenbaum sure did.

"Don't you talk to me like that, you're redder than any of your kind that I have ever met. A bear if I ever saw one! Before you call names, think of yourself. A Red Bolshevik."

Aimee's face turned bright red. "Oh? I'm no damn Bolshevik, why do you think I ran? But _you,_ you are a Kraut. You helped the Nazis! Do not try to fool me. You _slept_ with the enemy, and you are trash like him. Do not lecture me on allegiance when you have none!"

Tenenbaum was shaking with anger. Aimee was emitting it in waves. It was no wonder they hated each other. Russian and German. Now it all made sense.

"Ladies, can we stop fighting for a moment? I still need Tenenbaum to help me, and Aimee to guide me. You can kill each other later."

"Fine. I have places to be, so you can spend all the time you want with the Kraut."

Before Jack could respond, Aimee was gone. He looked to Tenenbaum, exasperated. "Why?"

"She is Aoi Tori. She supports Ryan. She is a warhorse, and she cannot be trusted."

"Aoi Tori?"

"They are a group who supports Ryan. Crazy, all of them. Radicals. But come, now I take you to safe place to fix you."

Jack stared at Tenenbaum in disbelief. Radicals who support Ryan? That didn't make any sense. Why? What about Cohen? Aimee was constantly getting more and more interesting.

"Come on! Time is not on our side." She tugged on Jack's arm, and let out a furious grunt. "Before he finds us!"

Jack nodded, and followed Tenenbaum out. "He" as in Ryan or Atlas? He wasn't sure, and he didn't want to know.


	9. Tenenbaum's Hideout

**A/N:** Hi everyone~ Sorry that, yet again, it's been so long. New computer, no internet, baby stuff, etc. This chapter is really short, mostly because when I was writing it, I got A LOT of writer's block. I also realized we haven't heard a lot from Atlas in the past eight chapters, and I should probably change that. The next chapter is already shaping up to be a long one, so hopefully everyone is willing to wait it out until I post it! Thanks so much for everyone that waited, I love you dearly. xx

I also cannot promise that the next chapter will not contain some expansion on the budding romance between Jack & Aimee.

_All the usual disclaimers apply, since I don't own BioShock or 2k._

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**NINE: TENENBAUM'S HIDEOUT**

THEY CAME TO A STOP AT A WALL. Tenenbaum looked around, and then knocked. Normally, Jack would have found this absurd, but after this time he'd spent in Rapture, he'd learned that no matter what…There was always a hidden passageway. A small doorway opened up at the bottom of the wall, and a girl peeked out. She looked familiar to Jack, and she had a huge grin on her face. She disappeared behind the wall again, and it opened up like a giant door. Tenenbaum hurried Jack inside, and the door shut behind them with a giant _whoosh_ of air. Around them were all the little girls that so far, Jack had saved. They all had smiles on their faces.

"Look, he's the one that's going to save us!"

Jack looked to Tenenbaum, then back at the girls. He didn't know what to say, but luckily, Tenenbaum did.

"Now girls, be thankful he has helped as much as he has. Do not push your luck." She sounded very maternal, and the girls looked away. They all seemed very shy now that they were regular little girls. None of them looked up at Jack, they simply huddled and they whispered. Jack did his best not to smile at them, feeling warmth slowly growing in his stomach. This was the first time he'd actually been happy since making his venture into Rapture.

Tenenbaum cut the moment short, clearing her throat. "If you want help, we must go. Time for this later." And she ushered Jack off, each of the girls watching him leave. He felt at ease here, though he didn't know why. Maybe it was the aura of the girls, he certainly couldn't tell. But it was nice. They came to another door, and Tenenbaum punched in the code. The door opened slowly. She ushered Jack inside, and the doors shut behind him. There was a table and a lab bed in the middle of the room.

Jack assumed he was to lie on the bed, so he made his way to the center of the room. The bed was lifted a little high off the ground, so Jack had to climb on it. He was settled just as Tenenbaum made her way across the room.

"Now I will give you something to sleep. When you wake, you will be fixed. I hope." She smiled at Jack, and pulled up a syringe and a bottle of clear liquid. Before he could ask what the liquid was, the needle was in his arm. He could feel the liquid as it made its way through his body. And soon, Jack welcomed sleep for the first time as it overtook him.

When Jack awoke sometime later, it was to radio static. A voice was calling him… Atlas! He had almost forgotten about Atlas. The thick Irish accent became clearer, and a groggy Jack sat up to listen. For once, he found himself disinterested.

"Finally! Where have you been, boyo? You disappeared inside of Fort Frolic, and just now reappeared. Is everything alright?"

Jack found himself chuckling. He wasn't sure why, but he was. "Yeah, I'm fine. What do you mean by I disappeared?"

Atlas hesitated, so Jack knew the answer. Atlas was watching his every move. Jack kind of expected that, but it was still irritating. Why not tell Jack from the beginning? Sure, a lot of the placed he had gone to under Atlas's direction. And of course, Jack listened; he was _bred to,_ after all. But Jack was allowed his own space to wander. He never told Atlas, so that only left that he was being tracked. Finally, Atlas spoke.

"I couldn't contact you. Of course I'm going to worry that a Splicer or a Daddy got you. Don't disappear like that on me again, boyo. Now would you kindly find your way to Hephaestus to get to that Ryan bastard?"

He sounded irritated by the end, and Jack found himself unable to care. It was exciting for Jack. He didn't feel required to obey, to be a mindless puppet. And for the first time, he doubted the real motivation of Atlas. Jack sighed, deciding to play along.

"Yes, sire. I have only one detour along the way, and it'll help me where I'm going." It was partway true, since Aimee did have security codes that still worked. But how high did that power go? Jack was going to find out.

"Aye, alright. You better be right."

With that, the radio died down. Now, all he had to do was find Aimee. She'd still help him, he hoped. As Jack got up to leave, he noticed that the hideout was empty.

_Did she just leave and expect me to finish her mission? Or did something happen…_


End file.
